Snowmobiles are propelled by endless drive tracks. As a snowmobile moves forward over snow, the endless drive track projects snow rearward. To reduce the amount of snow being projected rearward, some snowmobiles are provided with a snow flap connected to the rear of a tunnel of the snowmobile and extend downward therefrom. As a result, at least some of the snow being projected by the endless drive track is blocked by the snow flap.
Some snowmobiles use a liquid cooling system to cool components such as the engine for example. To cool the coolant flowing in the liquid cooling system, the tunnel of some of these snowmobiles have a heat exchanger assembly. Although the cold weather in which snowmobiles operate assist in cooling the coolant flowing in these heat exchanger assemblies, the snow flaps on these snowmobiles have been shaped to not only block the snow projected by the endless drive track, but to redirect this snow onto the heat exchanger assemblies. The contact between the snow and the heat exchanger assemblies provided in the tunnels improves the cooling of the coolant flowing in these heat exchanger assemblies. In order to increase the amount of snow being redirected toward the heat exchanger assemblies in the tunnels, the snow flaps have been made longer.
FIG. 1 illustrates the tunnel 100, suspension assembly 102, endless drive track 104 and snow flap 106 of a snowmobile of the type described above. As can be seen, the snow flap 106 is connected to the rear end of the tunnel 100 and extends downward therefrom. As can also be seen, the snow flap 106 is long enough that, in the illustrated position of the suspension assembly 102, the lower portion of the snow flap 106 is located behind the rear idler wheels 108 of the rear suspension assembly 102. As a result, most of the snow projected by the endless drive track 104 as the snowmobile moves forward hits the snow flap 106 and a portion is redirected toward the heat exchanger assembly (not shown) provided in the horizontal central section of the tunnel 100.
Although effective to redirect snow toward the heat exchanger assembly, the use of the flap 106 has the drawback that as the suspension assembly 102 extends and compresses, the vertical position of the rear idler wheels 108 relative to the lower end of the snow flap 106 varies. As a result, the amount of snow deflected by the snow flap 106 varies depending on the position of suspension assembly.
Another drawback of the use of the snow flap 106 is that, in the event that the snowmobile moves in reverse and encounters deep snow, there is a possibility that the snow could push the lower end of the snow flap 106 against the endless drive track 104. As a result, the turning endless drive track 104 pulls the snow flap 106 down, thereby pulling the rear end of the tunnel 100 down and preventing further movement of the snowmobile in reverse.
There is therefore a desire for a snowmobile that redirects snow projected by the endless drive track onto a heat exchanger assembly provided in the tunnel that addresses the drawbacks associated with snow flaps that have been identified above.